Bienvenida?

When I first got to Flores and was reunited with the family I stayed with last time, Memo (a gringo who's been living here for 4 years), his Guatemalan wife Angelica, her kids Reyna (10) and Wilso (8), their kid Paralee (1.5), and Angelica's sister Zaira (freshly 18), I was a little disappointed. I'd stayed here for 3 weeks 6 months ago, but the kids didn't really seem to remember me. Even Zaira, who I thought I'd had plenty of girl-time with, was like, "where are you from?" I guess it was partly because in the 6 months I was away they'd turned their place into a hostel, and so a parade of gringas has come through here. But everyone warmed up again pretty quickly and it is comfortable again. I've arranged to eat many of my meals with them when I'm in town, and I've hunkered down in their internet cafe with my own laptop. And last night I felt things really turned a corner with the little kids, when they remembered completely on the own that I had taught them the robot dance last time I was here.

Anyway, this is a nice arrangement because I can cook occasional things in their kitchen and I don't have to sit alone in a restaurant whenever I want a real meal, which gets old fast. I just have to be on guard against tickle attacks, but if I get my back into a corner I can usually hold the two of them off pretty well.